August 2024 Patient Newsletter
🤳🏼 Are you using the NHS App to manage your repeat
prescriptions?
Find it frustrating when you’re not sure if your prescription has been signed off or if the pharmacy says they haven’t received it. Well now, thanks to the NHS App, you can find out exactly where your repeat prescription is up to in seconds. Watch this short video to see how easy it is to manage your repeat prescriptions using the app.
Like us, pharmacies are working flat out to dispense record numbers of prescriptions and other services. Patients using the NHS App to track prescriptions takes the pressure off us but also gives you quick, easy answers and saves you trying to get through to the surgery or pharmacy.
Almost half of patients at Apex Medical Practice have already downloaded the NHS app to order repeat prescriptions, book appointments, access NHS 111 online find NHS services, view your health records and much more. Give it a try today!
😀 Embrace a healthier version of you with NHS support
Imagine yourself next summer – lighter, more energetic, and brimming with confidence. Sound good? You might be surprised to learn the NHS offers fantastic free resources to help you achieve your goals:
- Free NHS 12-week weight loss plan app: This app caters to everyone who wants to lose weight. Set achievable goals, plan healthy meals, track your progress, and find tips to become more active and burn more calories.
- NHS Digital Weight Management Programme: Available to adults over 18 with a BMI of 30+ (or 27.5+ for Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds) who have diabetes. A referral from your GP or pharmacist is required.
- One YOU Kent (0300 123 1220, oneyou.kent@nhs.net): Explore a range of initiatives, including One You Weight Loss and One You Walk and Talk (0300 123 1220, email kcht.healthwalks@nhs.net).
💉 Pregnant? Protect your baby against whooping cough
Whooping cough cases are still being reported and can be incredibly dangerous for newborns, potentially leading to hospital stays or even death in their first few weeks. The good news is, you can help shield your baby with the whooping cough vaccine during pregnancy:
- The vaccine is typically offered around your 20-week mid-pregnancy scan, but it’s available from 16 weeks.
- Vaccination during pregnancy provides strong protection for your baby against serious whooping cough until they can receive their own vaccinations at 8 weeks old.
- It’s crucial to get the vaccine in each pregnancy to ensure your baby receives a fresh boost of protective antibodies.
- Even if you’ve had the vaccine before, getting it again is essential. Your baby will still need their routine vaccinations at 8 weeks.
Talk to your midwife or one of our GPs if you are unsure so we can check for you and arrange any catch-up vaccines you need.
🔎 Be skin smart
Although the sun has seemed a bit reluctant to show its face much this year, NHS Kent and Medway Cancer Alliance is reminding people to be skin smart and to check their moles.
Skin cancer is one that we can actually see developing in its early stages. Make sure you regularly check your skin for new moles, or changes to existing ones.
Know your ABCDEs:
A – Asymmetry: Both halves don’t look the same.
B – Border: The mole has blurred or jagged edges.
C – Colour: The mole has more than one colour.
D – Diameter: Grows larger than 6mm.
E – Evolution: Changes size, shape or colour.
If found, diagnosed and treated early enough, almost all cases of skin cancer are curable. Book an appointment with the team if you have any concerns; it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
🌞 Summer’s here, but don’t let a trip to the beach turn
into a trip to A&E
We know that keeping the kids entertained during the school break can be tricky, but it’s also a time when the NHS can get busier.
Here’s how to be prepared:
Need more info? Visit www.StopThinkChoose.co.uk for local NHS services and advice.
Minor ailments? See your pharmacist. They can help with coughs, colds, bites, and more. Use our map to find pharmacy opening times.
Think urgent care, not A&E. Minor injuries, sprains, and even some illnesses can be treated at urgent treatment centres or minor injuries units. Skip the long wait and get the care you need quicker. Find details about urgent care services locally here.
Beat the heat. Stay hydrated, wear sunscreen (minimum SPF 30+), a hat, and light clothes, especially during peak sun hours (11am to 3pm).
Keep it healthy for little ones. Download the NHS toolkit for primary school children to find useful information about NHS services and common childhood health issues.
👩🏼⚕️ Smear test myths busted
In England, nearly two women die a day from cervical cancer. Cervical screening, commonly known as a smear test, is the test offered to anyone with a cervix to detect changes to the cervical cells that could potentially lead to cancer. Sadly, the myths around smear tests are often the reason people don’t book, so let’s bust them together:
Myth 1: Smear tests are painful.
Truth: While it might feel slightly uncomfortable, most describe the smear test as more of an inconvenience than anything else – you’re having to undress from the waist down to a nurse you might not know very well. Rest assured, she’s super skilled at making the process as quick and painless as possible.
Myth 2: Smear tests are only for sexually active people.
Truth: The human papillomavirus (HPV), which can lead to cervical cancer, can be contracted through any skin-to-skin contact in the genital area, not just penetrative sex. That’s why smear tests are recommended for all people with a cervix from the age of 25 (or earlier if advised by a doctor).
Myth 3: A smear test is a test for cancer.
Truth: A smear test detects abnormal cell changes – not cancer itself. Early detection allows for treatment before these cells become cancerous, significantly improving the chances of a successful outcome.
Myth 4: I can skip the test if I had the HPV vaccine.
Truth: The HPV vaccine protects against some strains of HPV, but not all. Regular smear tests remain vital for complete protection.
You can also:
- Take a friend with you for moral support
- Think about what to wear – what’s most comfortable for you and is easy to slip off and on?
- Maybe listen to music or watch something on your phone to distract you.
We hope these facts make you feel more confident about booking your smear test. Cervical screening saves lives. For more information visit: nhs.uk/cervicalscreening.
🌞 Summer activities that won’t break the bank
Keeping school children and teenagers busy through the summer holidays is always a challenge but there’s lots going across Medway:
- There is a Youth Sports Camp for children aged 7 to 11 during the summer holidays at Medway’s sports centres.
- Strood Children and Family Hub Sessions have a number of activities for children and families throughout the summer, including sports and arts and crafts.
- Explore Kent’s Sticks and Stones Festival in Medway, taking place on Saturday 10 August. It’s for cyclists of all ages and abilities and a fun event for all of the family.
